Watch Jay-Z’s Triumphant Barclays Center Mini-Doc ‘Where I’m From’

Hova bonds with a totes adorbs old lady on the subway

“I’ve been on many stages all around the world,” Jay-Z said at the inaugural night of his eight-show run at the newly christened Barclays Center in September. “I performed at the Grammys. I performed at Glastonbury. I tore Coachella to pieces. Nothing feels like this, Brooklyn, I swear to God.” Indeed, as SPIN’s Christopher R. Weingarten reported, his sold-out run at the Brooklyn Nets’ new arena was a triumphant feat, and thanks to Jigga’s online culture hub Life+Times, the rest of us can get a feel for the big emotions and even bigger performances via the 25-minute documentary, Where I’m From.

In compact fashion, the short film takes viewers from the Barclays’ construction in Brooklyn — an eight-minute drive from the projects Jay-Z grew up in — to the extensive rehearsals and lighting prep for the show, to some pretty stunning captures of the main event itself (beginning around the 15-minute mark). That said, it doesn’t get better than seeing Hova slum it on the subway en route to his closing night, and finding himself in a conversation with an older woman who doesn’t recognize him. When Jay explains where he’s headed, she responds, “And you’re going by subway? I’m proud of you.”

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